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ir- — --ir= — ^=nr=ir= irtsa-— ir-as 

W[ )t  (gospel  ^Uiroab 
©unng:  tfje  TOorlb  Mlar 


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EMBRACING  Report  of  the  Foreign 
Secretary  of  The  Christian  and 
Missionary  Alliance  for  the  Year  1918 


Christian  Alliance  Publishing  Company 
318  West  39th  Street  New  York  City 

G =ii  - . it-  ■ ii  it=  - ir  ii — =if=  I 


]BE 


Note  : — The  increased  length  of  this  Report,  made  necessary  by  the 
growth  and  expansion  of  our  foreign  work,  has  led  to  the  decision  not 
to  include,  as  in  former  years,  the  separate  reports  for  the  different 
fields  in  the  Foreign  Secretary’s  Report,  to  be  printed  for  special  circu- 
lation. We  hope,  however,  to  give  the  gist  of  the  main  field  reports 
from  w’eek  to  week  in  the  Alliance  Weekly. 


Report  of  Foreign  Secretary 

1918 


HE  sensation  felt  on  November  n,  1918,  will 
not  soon  fade  from  the  memory  of  those  who, 
on  that  eventful  day,  heard  the  news,  flashed 
by  the  cable  the  world  around,  that  the  armistice 
was-signed  and'  hostilities  had  ceased.  The.'world 
war,  the  greatest  and  most  awful  war  in  history,  was  over,  and 
hundreds  of  millions  breathed  a sigh  of  inexpressible  relief 
and  gratitude.  Since  then  the  eyes  of  the  world  have  been 
turned  toward  Paris,  where  the  Peace  Conference  is  still  grap- 
pling with  problems  of  adjustment  which  appear  to  be  all  but 
as  difficult  as  the  earlier  task  of  winning  the  war.  It  is  yet  too 
early  to  speak  with  certainty  as  to  the  ultimate  terms  of  peace 
and  the  resultant  world  conditions  with  which  to  be  reckoned. 
But  this  much  seems  certain,  that  1919  marks  the  dawn  of  a new 
era  as  distinct  as  the  beginning  of  the  Protestant  Reformat:on 
or  the  inauguration  of  Modern  Missions.  Old  things  have 
passed  away,  whether  divisions  of  nations  and  races,  stand- 
ards of  thinking  and  acting,  ideals  and  programs  of  individuals 
and  governments,  and  all  things  are  becoming  new. 

In  no  sphere  is  this  new  era  more  marked  than  in  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise,  where  new  conditions  and  forces,  new  plans 
and  problems,  new  opportunities  and  responsibilities  are  plain- 
ly to  be  faced.  The  bearing  of  the  war  upon  missions  has  been 
both  varied  and  vital.  These  two  mighty  conflicts,  the  one 
military  and  the  other  missionary  in  character,  directly  oppo- 
site as  they  are  in  all  their  essential  features — their  impelling 
motive,  their  mode  of  conduct,  their  ultimate  objective — are 


3 


yet  vitally  related  one  to  the  other,  inasmuch  as  each  bears  so 
directly  upon  the  divine  purpose  and  program  in  the  world. 
It  is,  therefore,  fitting  and  important  at  the  outset  of  this  Re- 
port, which  is  to  look  back  over  the  past  year  and  forward  to 
the  coming  year  of  our  missionary  work,  to  consider  briefly 
some  of  the  bearings  of  the  world  war  upon  worldwide  mis- 
sions. 

THE  WAR  AND  WORLDWIDE  MISSIONS. 

The  effects  of  the  war  upon  missions  have  been  both  un- 
favorable and  favorable.  On  the  one  hand,  there  have  been 
many  losses  and  handicaps ; on  the  other  hand,  some  gains  and 
advantages. 

I.  Losses  and  Handicaps. 

Under  this  heading  the  following  considerations  may  be 
mentioned : 

First,  heavy  additional  burdens  have  been  thrown  upon 
missionary  administration.  One  has  but  to  recall  the  utter 
demoralization  of  ocean.travel  during  the  war,  the  infrequency 
and  irregularity  of  steamship  sailings,  the  new  difficulties  at- 
tending the  securing  of  passports,  the  ban  placed  on  persons 
with  German  names  despite  their  unquestionable  American 
citizenship,  the  new  and  drastic  restrictions  imposed  upon  en- 
try into  British  and  French  foreign  possessions,  the  ever  shift- 
ing process  of  obtaining  exemption  from  conscription  for  male 
missionary  candidates  of  military  age,  the  embargo  on  export 
of  goods  by  freight,  and  the  complicated  regulations  relating 
to  the  taking  abroad,  even  as  personal  baggage,  of  many  arti- 
cles of  everyday  use,  to  realize  something  of  the  heavy  and 
trying  burdens  that  have  been  laid  upon  Mission  Boards  and 
Secretaries.  Again  and  again  arrangements  laboriously  com- 
pleted for  some  outgoing  party  have  at  the  last  moment  fallen 
through  because  of  one  or  other  of  the  above  difficulties,  and 
the  work  has  all  had  to  be  done  over  again.  Many  weary  days, 


4 


and  sometimes  nights,  have  had  to  be  spent  in  unravelling  miles 
of  official  red  tape  expressly  designed,  it  would  almost  appear, 
to  make  simple  and  practical  things  complicated  and  confus- 
ing. 

Second,  missionary  work  on  some  fields  has  suffered  in- 
terruption and  loss.  This  applies  to  portions  of  East  and 
West  Africa  during  the  periods  of  fighting  there,  but  more 
particularly  to  the  Turkish  Empire  and  Persia,  millions  of 
whose  oppressed  subjects  have  passed  through  untold  afflic- 
tions. In  these  countries  much  mission  property  has  been  de- 
stroyed, normal  work  has  for  the  time  been  paralyzed,  Chris- 
tian converts  have  suffered  shocking  indignities  and  cruelties, 
missionaries  have  been  under  a terrific  strain  in  their  heroic 
efforts  to  succor  the  helpless  victims  of  brutal  Turkish  perse- 
cutors, and  some  noble  workers  have  succumbed  to  hardship 
and  pestilence  and  have  filled  martyrs’  graves. 

Third,  missionary  forces  and  resources  have  been  cut  down 
by  the  calling  home  of  many  men  from  the  fields  to  take  their 
part  in  the  war,  by  the  impossibility  of  securing  new  recruits, 
and  by  the  heavy  financial  drain  of  the  war  upon  the  lands 
which  constitute  the  supporting  base  of  missions. 

In  this  connection  the  painful  fact  has  to  be  recorded  that 
German  missionary  work  has  been  almost  wholly  eliminated. 
The  serious  proportions  which  this  loss  assumes  will  be  fully 
appreciated  only  when  we  consider  that  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war  there  were  twenty-seven  German  Protestant  Missionary 
Societies,  with  fifty-seven  subsidiary  Societies,  operating  in 
foreign  lands,  with  a staff  of  2,400  missionaries  and  9,000 
native  workers,  with  native  churches  numbering  720,000  mem- 
bers, mission  schools  with  240,000  pupils,  and  an  annual  ag- 
gregate income  of  two  and  a quarter  millions  of  dollars.  By 
far  the  greater  part  of  this  entire  work  has  for  the  time  been 
completely  wiped  out,  and  a native  missionary  community  of 


5 


practically  a million  sou’s  has  been  left  shepherdless.  And 
the  saddest  feature  of  it  all  is  that,  as  regards  the  great  major- 
ity of  these  misionaries  and  their  work,  there  appears  to  be  lit- 
tle prospect  of  reinstatement  even  after  peace  has  been  made. 
Thus  this  serious  loss  to  the  missionary  enterprise  in  many  of 
the  largest  fields  promises  to  be  not  merely  transient  but  per- 
manent. 

Fourth,  missionaries  have  been  subjected  to  not  a few 
fresh  trials.  The  increased  cost  of  living  has  been  practically 
universal,  and  has  been  felt  in  foreign  lands  even  more  keenly 
than  at  home,  because  of  the  exorbitant  freight  rates  on  neces- 
sary shipments  of  provisions,  as  well  as  the  unprecedented  rise 
of  exchange  in  countries  having  a silver  currency.  There  have 
been  the  new  dangers  and  difficulties  attending  travel  to  and 
from  the  field.  In  a number  of  lands  the  missionaries  have 
also  had  the  added  task  of  ministering  to  war  troops  or  refu- 
gees. In  many  instances  furloughs  greatly  needed  have  had 
to  be  postponed.  In  these  and  other  ways  the  missionary  body 
has  been  placed  under  a very  heavy  additional  physical  and 
mental  strain. 

Fifth , there  cannot  be  overlooked  the  grave  moral  effect 
of  this  war  upon  non-Christian  races.  The  ghastly  spec'acle 
of  professing  Christian  nations  engaged  in  such  horrible 
slaughter  of  each  other  has  rudely  shocked  the  heathen  world, 
and  called  forth  in  every  mission  field  perp’exed  questionings 
by  bewildered  converts  and  contemptuous  scoffing  by  keen- 
minded  heathen  critics.  This  moral  odium  of  the  war  is  the 
greater,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  these  different  races  have 
not  merely  viewed  the  spectacle  from  afar,  but  have  been 
brought  into  intimate  contact  with  it.  The  Japanese  navy  has 
been  an  active  participant  in  war  operations.  A million  natives 
of  India  have  served  in  the  British  army.  A quarter  of  a mil- 
lion Chinese  have  been  and  still  are  among  the  labor  corps  be- 


6 


hind  the  fighting  lines  in  France.  The  black  man  of  Africa 
has  been  called  upon  to  help  fight  the  white  man’s  battles  in 
the  Dark  Continent.  Every  prominent  group  of  islands  in  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  has  been  represented  at  the  front, 
Thus  the  very  ends  of  the  earth  have  been  brought  together  as 
never  before,  and  the  Orient  has  re-discovered  the  Occident— 
alas,  not  so  much  its  strength  as  its  weakness,  not  its  virtues, 
but  rather  its  vices.  The  bearing  of  all  this  upon  foreign  mis- 
sionary work  is  indeed  very  real.  Western  prestige  has  been 
irretrievably  lowered  in  eastern  lands,  and  the  missionary’s 
task  thereby  rendered  more  difficult. 

II.  Gains  and  Advantages. 

Over  against  these  and  other  losses  and  handicaps,  it  is 
cheering  to  note  some  gains  and  advantages  accruing  to  mis- 
sions from  the  war. 

First,  there  is  the  resultant  political  redistribution  of  ter- 
ritory. Christians  everywhere  will  unite  in  feeling  a sense  of 
unspeakable  relief,  satisfaction,  and  gratitude  that  the  Turk- 
ish power  has  at  last  been  broken.  The  long  and  hideous  record 
of  that  nation’s  cruelty  and  crime,  which  has  inflicted  misery 
and  murder  upon  millions  of  helpless  subject  races,  is,  we 
trust,  at  an  end.  The  flag  that  has  always  stood  for  liberty  has 
displaced  the  bloody  flag  of  the  star  and  crescent  over  old  Jeru- 
salem. Palestine  has  been  freed,  as  have  also  Arabia  and  Meso- 
potamia, and  a new  and  infinitely  brighter  day  of  emancipation 
and  of  opportunity  for  the  gospel  is  dawning  throughout  the 
Near  East.  There  are  reasons  to  believe,  also,  that  the  ex- 
change of  certain  territory  in  Africa  and  the  Island  world 
may  be  to  the  betterment  of  the  tribes  involved,  and  thus  to 
the  advantage  of  missionary  work. 

Second,  the  closer  relations  brought  about  between  France 
and  the  English-speaking  powers  through  the  war  promise  dis- 


7 


tinct  advantage  to  missions.  Some  of  the  largest  and  neediest 
mission  fields  are  under  French  control,  and  it  is  well  known 
that  the  attitude  of  France  towards  Protestant  Missions  in  the 
past  has  been  mainly  one  of  exclusion  or  opposition.  Now, 
however,  there  are  indications  of  a much  more  favorable  atti- 
tude, the  direct  benefits  of  which  to  Alliance  undertakings  will 
be  mentioned  later. 

Third , the  war  has  given  to  many  an  infinitely  wider  outlook 
of  interest  and  sympathy  for  other  nations.  Parochial  think- 
ing has  given  place  to  international  thinking.  Thousands  of 
Christian  young  men  and  women  who  had  never  been  away 
from  home  have  crossed  the  seas  and  received  their  first  vision 
of  the  needs  and  claims  of  other  lands.  May  we  not  hope,  and 
shall  we  not  pray,  that  this  war  experience  may  prove  for 
many  of  them  a stepping  stone  toward  the  mission  field,  and 
also  that  missionary  support  will  be  strongly  stimulated  on  the 
part  of  many  who  cannot  go  ? 

Fourth,  the  war  has  called  forth  a new  dominant  spirit  of 
unselfish  service  and  sacrifice.  We  have  had  a spectacle  of 
splendid  loyalty,  heroism,  and  generosity.  Life  and  treasure 
have  been  offered  without  stint.  Surely  all  this  has  been  a 
solemn  rebuke  and  object  lesson  to  the  Church  in  her  half- 
hearted attitude  toward  the  cause  entrusted  to  her  by  her 
Master.  The  revelation  of  what  can  be  accomplished  when 
the  task,  however  great  and  hard,  is  faced  with  united  will  and 
courage  throws  a flood  of  light  upon  the  still  unsolved  prob- 
lem of  world  evangelization,  and  if  the  Church  will  yield  to 
conviction  and  awake  at  last  to  a worthier  prosecution  of  her 
glorious  task,  even  the  frightful  cost  of  the  war  will  have  its 
very  real  compensation,  and  mightier  results  than  have  ever 
yet  been  known  will  soon  be  realized  in  missions. 

The  above  are  but  a few  of  the  contributions,  so  to  speak, 
which  the  world  war  has  made  to  the  debit  and  the  credit 


8 


sides  respectively,  of  the  missionary  account.  It  may  be  ques- 
tioned by  some  whether  what  has  been  written  has  a legitimate 
place  in  this  Report  of  Alliance  Missions  for  the  past  year. 
But  the  -writer  feels  that,  inasmuch  as  our  work  is  but  a part 
of  a greater  whole,  we  cannot  rightfully  estimate  our  particular 
task  and  problems  or  lay  our  further  plans  without  first  getting 
a view  of  the  entire  situation.  And,  moreover,  the  features  of 
general  loss  and  gain  above  cited  are  a necessary  background 
for  a full  appreciation  of  the  experiences  of  our  own  Alliance 
work  during  the  trying  period  of  the  war,  to  which  considera- 
tion we  now  proceed. 

ALLIANCE  MISSIONS  DURING  THE  WAR. 

While  we  have  been  called  upon,  along  with  other  Societies, 
to  bear  our  due  share  of  the  handicaps  and  disadvantages  in- 
cident to  the  war,  yet  we  have  abundant  reason  to  praise  God 
for  His  special  care  and  favor  bestowed  upon  us  through  these 
terrible  years  of  conflict.  A few  outstanding  features  call  for 
mention. 

I.  At  the  Home  End. 

i.  Stability.  The  Alliance  movement  has  been  permitted  by 
God  to  undergo  a new  and  painful  test  in  the  fact  that  its 
honored  and  beloved  founder  and  president  has  for  a year  and 
a half  been  almost  wholly  removed  from  its  counsels  and  ac- 
tivities, owing  to  a breakdown  due  to  the  severe  strain  of  many 
years  of  unremitting  labors.  The  fact,  for  which  we  owe  de- 
vout thanks  to  God,  that  the  work  in  all  its  branches  has  suf- 
fered no  setback  but  has  rather  gone  forward  with  steadily  in- 
creasing momentum  and  widening  scope  is  the  best  evidence 
of  its  divine  origin,  and  is  at  the  same  time  the  highest  tribute 
to  the  solidity  of  the  foundations  laid  for  it  in  the  message  and 
ministry  of  its  human  founder.  Never  have  the  conventions 
had  a larger  attendance,  a stronger  message,  a deeper  spiritual 


9 


tune,  or  richer  practical  results  than  during  the  past  year,  and 
the  response  to  the  missionary  appeal  both  for  men  and  for 
money  has  been  greater  far  than  ever  before. 

2.  Support.  Despite  the  seriously  increased  cost  of  living, 
the  unsettled  economic  conditions,  and  multiplied  financial 
appeals  in  connection  with  the  war,  our  missionary  receipts 
have  not  merely  held  their  own,  but  have  shown  an  unprece- 
dented increase.  The  gross  receipts  through  the  Treasurer  for 
the  past  four  years  aggregate  the  large  sum  of  $954,701.22,3 
record  far  in  excess  of  any  similar  period  before  the  war, 
while  the  advance  in  income  from  year  to  year  during  the  ac- 
tual war  period  has  amounted  to  25  per  cent,  in  1915,  13  per 
cent,  in  1916,  29  per  cent,  in  1917,  and  17  per  cent,  in  1918. 

II.  At  the  Foreign  End. 

1.  Non-interruption  of  Work.  It  is  surely  cause  for  grati- 
tude, considering  the  wide  distribution  of  Alliance  Missions 
in  fourteen  different  countries,  that,  with  the  single  exception 
of  Palestine,  the  entire  work  has  gone  forward  during  the  war 
period  without  a day’s  interruption  or  interference.  And  the 
interval  during  which  all  of  our  Palestine  missionaries  were 
compelled  to  be  off  that  field  was  a brief  one  of  barely  one 
year.  In  every  other  field  open  doors  have  been  multiplied, 
and  opportunities  for  service  along  every  line  have  been  better 
than  ever  before. 

2.  Few  Casualties.  Here  again  is  an  evidence  of  the  Lord’s 
gracious  keeping  power,  that  during  years  of  such  peculiar 
danger  and  strain,  with  perils  from  submarines  and  mines  at 
sea,  civil  war  and  brigandage  in  China,  disturbed  conditions 
everywhere,  and  added  to  all  this  during  the  past  year  a world- 
wide epidemic  of  influenza,  the  losses  by  death  in  our  mission- 
ary ranks,  which  now  number  300,  have  been  so  few.  For  the 
past  four  years  the  total  deaths  have  numbered  only  nine. 


10 


True,  these  losses  have  been  felt  keenly,  including  as  they  do 
some  of  our  oldest  and  most  efficient  workers.  Yet  such  deaths 
do  not  spell  defeat,  but  are  rather  a part  of  the  price  of  ulti- 
mate victory  for  the  Master’s  cause. 

3.  Increase  of  Missionary  Staff.  In  cheering  contrast  to  the 
experience  of  many  other  societies,  we  have  had  the  unique 
record,  through  the  goodness  of  God,  of  a steady  increase  in 
our  missionary  ranks.  At  the  end  of  1914  they  comprised  259 
missionaries.  Notwithstanding  the  demands  of  the  war  and 
the  enforcement  during  this  last  year  of  military  conscription 
in  the  United  States,  eight  new  missionaries  were  sent  out 
during  1915,  twenty-seven  during  1916,  twenty-five  during 
1917,  and  twenty  during  1918,  making  a total  of  eighty  for  the 
four  years.  Deducting  the  removals  by  death  and  retiral  for 
the  same  period,  this  reinforcement  raises  the  staff  to  300  at 
the  end  of  1918,  a net  increase  of  forty-one  during  the  war 
period.  It  should  be  added  that  five  more  recruits,  appointed 
during  1918,  were  prevented  from  going  to  the  field  only  by 
transportation  difficulties  arising  out  of  the  war,  and  expect 
soon  to  sail.  And  now,  at  this  writing,  twenty  other  candidates 
have  already  been  accepted  and  appointed  to  the  various  fields 
with  the  hope  of  all  being  sent  out  this  year.  The  addition  of 
these,  not  to  speak  of  still  more  under  consideration,  will  raise 
our  missionary  staff  to  the  unprecedented  number  of  325. 

4.  Largest  Evangelistic  Results.  The  total  number  of  bap- 
tisms on  all  fields  during  the  past  four  years  is  5,630.  This  is 
far  in  excess  of  any  previous  record  for  the  same  length  of 
time,  and  is  a true  and  gratifying  evidence  that  the  toil  and 
sacrifice  of  the  earlier  years  were  not  in  vain,  but  that  the  seed 
so  faithfully  sown  in  tears  is  bearing  its  certain  fruitage,  and 
in  ever  increasing  measure  as  the  years  pass.  It  is  particularly 
cheering  that  these  war  years,  with  all  their  added  difficulties 
and  distractions,  far  from  showing  a falling  off  in  direct  re- 


11 


suits,  should  actually  record  the  largest  ingathering  of  souls  in 
the  history  of  the  work. 

5.  Expansion  of  Field  and  Operations.  We  have  become 
familiar  during  these  recent  years  with'  two  kinds  or  stages 
of  warfare.  For  considerable  periods  at  a time  there  was 
trench  warfare  alone,  and  all  that  the  allied  troops  could  do 
was  to  hold  grimly  on  to  what  they  had  already  gained,  suc- 
cessfully resisting  all  attempts  to  dislodge  them.  But  when 
sufficient  men  and  munitions  reached  the  front,  trench  warfare 
gave  place  to  forward  drives,  and  all  along  the  line  it  was  a 
continuous  series  of  “going  over  the  top.”  Just  so  has  it  been 
in  Alliance  missionary  operations.  The  first  year  of  the  war 
saw  our  work  struggling  under  the  handicap  of  limited  forces 
and  resources,  and  it  was  only  by  dint  of  prayerful  persever- 
ance that  retrenchment  was  obviated.  But  God  graciously 
brought  us  through  this  period  of  testing,  relieved  the  strin- 
gency, and,  by  sending  us  more  liberal  supplies,  enabled  us  to 
plan  and  project  forward  movements  on  many  of  our  fields. 
As  an  indication  of  the  substantial  expansion  of  the  work 
within  our  already  occupied  fields,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  during 
1915  there  were  fifty-eight  new  centers  of  work  opened  as 
either  stations  or  outstations;  during  1916,  seventeen  more; 
during  1917,  eighty-six;  during  1918,  sixty-five.  This  means 
that  our  points  of  occupation  have  actually  increased  within  four 
years  from  271  to  497,  a gain  of  eighty-three  per  cent.  But  still 
more  encouraging  is  the  fact  that  on  several  fields  the  advances 
have  not  been  merely  within  the  old  areas  of  occupation,  but 
into  new  territory  lying  adjacent  to  our  fields  but  hitherto  be- 
yond all  missionary  effort.  As  these  advances  have  taken 
place  mainly  during  the  last  year,  more  detailed  mention  of 
them  will  be  made  under  the  next  heading. 


12 


FEATURES  OF  THE  WORK  IN  1918. 

We  have  come  now  to  the  record  of  Alliance  Missions  for 
the  past  year  in  particular. 

As  regards  external  conditions,  it  has  been  a year  of  pecul- 
iar trial  and  difficulty.  Not  only  did  all  the  obstructive  features 
of  the  war  already  mentioned  reach  their  highest  pitch  during 
the  last  year  of  the  terrific  struggle,  but  an  added  and  heavy 
blow  came  in  the  form  of  a distressing  scourge  of  influenza 
which  swept  ruthlessly  round  the  entire  world,  leaving  not  one 
of  our  mission  fields  untouched.  Many  deaths  occurred  in 
nearly  every  foreign  country  as  well  as  in  the  homeland.  Quite 
a number  of  our  missionaries  were  themselves  attacked,  and 
the  hands  of  all  of  them  were  made  the  fuller  by  the  work  of 
ministering  to  the  natives  who  were  stricken  down.  West 
Africa  and  India  appear  to  have  been  the  worst  sufferers  of 
all.  In  Freetown,  the  coast  port  of  our  Soudan  field,  2,000 
deaths  occurred  within  a month.  The  disease  spread  inland, 
and  it  was  reported  that  the  monkeys,  as  well  as  human  beings, 
were  attacked  and  succumbed  in  great  numbers. 

Throughout  India  the  malady  raged  with  terrific  effect,  and 
the  reports  from  our  missionaries  were  heart-rending.  In 
most  of  our  large  stations  thousands  were  swept  off  like  flies, 
while  many  villages  were  literally  wiped  out.  We  mourn  the 
loss  of  not  a few  of  our  India  Christians,  including  several 
devoted  native  workers.  Poor  India’s  cup  of  sorrow  has  been 
exceptionally  full,  for  in  her  case  this  epidemic  was  preceded 
by  a visitation  of  the  deadly  bubonic  plague,  which  also  took 
many  lives,  and  has  in  turn  been  followed  by  another  dreadful 
famine  that  still  holds  her  in  its  cruel  grip.  This  time  the 
famine  area  is  unusually  wide,  involving  150,000,000  people. 
Both  of  our  Alliance  fields  are  affected,  and  once  more  our 
dear  India  workers  are  laid  under  the  extra  burden  of  admin- 
istering famine  relief. 


13 


It  is  surely  no  small  cause  for  joy  and  thanksgiving  that, 
under  worldwide  conditions  such  as  have  just  been  outlined, 
1918  has  again  proved  to  be  a record  year  in  our  work. 

1.  Finances.  The  total  receipts  through  the  treasurer  for  all  pur- 
poses were  $306,855.37.  This  represents  an  advance  of  seventeen 
per  cent,  over  the  previous  year  and  a striking  gain  of  fifty 
per  cent,  in  our  income  within  two  years.  The  actual  remit- 
tances to  our  foreign  fields,  together  with  moneys  sent  direct 
and  contributed  on  the  field,  amounted  to  $286,194.09.  This 
substantially  increased  support  provided  for  full  personal  al- 
lowances to  our  missionaries  without  a single  month’s  excep- 
tion, as  well  as  more  liberal  allowances  for  general  running 
expenses,  enabled  the  Board  to  meet  the  extra  heavy  demands 
of  transportation  and  adverse  money  exchange,  and  provided 
for  an  increase  of  $42,000.00  worth  of  property  on  the  fields. 

In  addition  to  a large  and  growing  number  of  Alliance 
branches  and  individual  friends  who  so  nobly  gave,  many  of 
them  at  great  sacrifice,  for  the  support  of  this  work,  we  would 
again  mention  gratefully  the  sympathetic  co-operation  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Conference  of  Mennonite  Brethren  and  the  Mis- 
sionary Church  Association,  who  continue  the  support  of  twen- 
ty and  twelve  missionaries  respectively,  as  well  as  further 
much  appreciated  donations  through  our  beloved  friend  of 
many  years,  Rev.  Wm.  E.  Blackstone,  from  the  Milton  Stew- 
art Evangelistic  Fund,  for  buildings  and  other  special  objects 
on  several  fields. 

2.  Eifangelism.  As  always,  this  phase  of  work  has  had 
the  pre-eminent  place  on  every  field,  and  the  reports  indicate 
that  gospel  preaching  has  been  pressed  with  almost  unusual 
vigor,  despite  serious  hindrance  from  epidemics  of  influenza 
practically  everywhere.  In  crowded  cities  and  remote  hamlets 
alike,  in  the  street  chapels  of  China  and  Japan,  the  bazaars  of 
India,  the  public  squares  of  African  bush  towns,  in  tent  and 


14 


plaza  in  South  America,  on  street  corners  in  Porto  Rico  and 
the  Philippines,  in  every  place  and  by  every  means  the  mes- 
sage of  salvation  has  been  faithfully  heralded. 

In  one  station  district  in  India  the  missionary  reports  hav- 
ing preached  to  over  20,000  during  a single  touring  season. 
In  Congo  the  native  Mission  workers  conducted  23,370  serv- 
ices in  villages,  while  12,651  additional  services  were  held  by 
other  Christians.  One  station  in  Central  China  reports  twen- 
ty-four country  trips,  aggregating  224  days,  during  which  184 
market  towns  and  villages  were  visited.  A married  couple  in 
South  China,  in  charge  of  a big  station,  spent  ninety  days  of 
the  year  in  the  country,  and  their  Biblewoman,  182  days.  Mr. 
Francis,  in  Japan,  reports  three  whole  months  given  to  itiner- 
ating, while  Mr.  Lund,  in  the  Philippines,  made  frequent  trips 
to  neighboring  islands  as  well  as  on  the  mainland  of  Minda- 
nao, preaching  to  Moro  communities.  A series  of  special  evan- 
gelistic services  was  conducted  at  several  points  in  the  coast 
field  of  Ecuador,  by  Messrs.  Polk  and  Simmonds,  while  a new 
effort  was  made  by  Messrs.  Crisman  and  Johnston  on  the 
Sierra,  in  the  face  of  some  opposition  and  insult,  to  dispose  of 
Scriptures  at  railway  stations  and  on  trains. 

A feature  calling  for  special  mention  is  the  organizing  of 
evangelistic  bands  in  both  Central  and  Western  China  for  the 
systematic  visitation  of  all  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  dis- 
trict surrounding  our  various  stations.  In  West  China,  for 
instance,  three  of  five  regular  evangelists  who  volunteered  for 
this  strenuous  service  were  released  from  local  work  and  have 
worked  successively  under  the  different  missionaries  in  their 
districts.  In  one  large  county  of  Minchow  they  labored  for 
fifty-six  days,  travelled  over  500  miles,  visited  eight  market 
towns  and  ninety-one  villages,  preached  264  times  to  7,000 
people,  and  did  a great  deal  of  personal  work  besides.  As  an 
immediate  result,  there  were  eighteen  who  openly  professed 


Christ  before  their  fellow-villagers.  Then,  after  a few  days 
spent  in  rest  and  special  prayer,  they  proceeded  to  the  Titao 
district.  Here,  with  the  help  of  other  local  volunteers,  two 
bands  were  formed.  In  two  weeks’  time  these  bands  together 
covered  more  than  200  miles,  visited  138  villages,  and 
preached  301  times  to  3,300  hearers.  Such  systematic  work 
is  planned  as  a permanent  feature,  with  the  object  of  reaching 
every  corner  of  this  entire  field  and  thus  fulfilling  the  task  of 
initial  evangelizationn. 

3.  Baptisms  and  Converts.  No  other  feature  of  the  year 
gives  us  quite  such  joy  as  the  fact  of  1,897  baptisms.  This  is 
much  the  largest  number  in  any  single  year,  and  is  an  increase 
of  thirty-three  per  cent,  over  the  year  1917,  the  highest  previ- 
ous record.  It  raises  the  total  number  of  recorded  baptisms  in 
the  history  of  our  foreign  work  to  15,175.  Congo  alone  had  the 
remarkable  number  of  908  baptisms  last  year,  the  China,  Chile, 
and  India  fields  coming  next  in  order.  In  addition,  2,835  en' 
rolled  enquirers  are  reported,  most,  if  not  all,  of  whom  have 
professed  to  accept  the  Saviour.  We  praise  God  for  such 
precious  spiritual  fruit  which  is  being  borne  in  increasing 
measure  each  succeeding  year. 

Some  wonderful  cases  of  conversion  are  mentioned  in  the 
field  reports.  One  is  that  of  a man  in  Chile  who  was  actually 
planning  the  murder  of  a hated  enemy,  when  he  heard  the 
gospel  on  one  of  our  stations  and  was  convicted  and  saved. 
Another  whole  family  in  the  same  field  was  gloriously  con- 
verted. The  husband  was  a terrible  slave  of  drink,  the  family 
was  reduced  to  dire  straits,  and  the  wife’s  heart  had  been  filled 
with  hatred  against  him.  But  Jesus  found  and  saved  them  all, 
and  now  happiness  reigns  in  the  home,  which  is  thrown  open 
for  gospel  work.  From  Central  China  comes  the  word  of  the 
conversion  of  a man  of  learning  and  position.  He  was  former- 
ly the  intimate  friend  of  the  notorious  Hunanese  scholar, 


16 


Chao  Han,  who  twenty-nine  years  ago  published  the  vilest  and 
most  slanderous  anti-Christian  literature  ever  circulated  in 
China.  This  literature  was  the  direct  cause  of  a series  of 
anti-foreign  riots  in  the  Yangtse  valley,  in  which  a number  of 
missionaries  were  murdered,  Chao  Han  is  still  in  custody  for 
his  devilish  work,  but  his  friend  has  come  into  the  light  and 
liberty  of  the  gospel. 

In  Japan  the  son  of  a Buddhist  priest  was  brought  to  Christ. 
In  Indo-China  it  has  been  noticeable  that  many  educated  and 
high  class  people  attend  the  gospel  services,  and  among  those 
baptized  were  a merchant  of  high  standing  and  a professor  of 
prominence  in  educational  circles.  In  the  meetings  which  it 
was  the  writer’s  privilege  to  address  on  his  recent  visit  to 
Porto  Rico  there  were  quite  a few  influential  people,  includ- 
ing the  mayor  of  one  city  and  several  professional  men.  Thus 
the  gospel  is  gaining  entrance  among  all  classes,  and  the  Lord 
is  magnifying  His  name  in  the  conversion  of  needy  souls  of 
every  kind. 

4.  The  Native  Church.  The  reports  show,  with  few  excep- 
tions, marked  development  in  the  spiritual  life  of  the  native 
churches  as  well  as  in  numbers.  Bible  study  conferences  have 
become  a yearly  feature  in  most  of  our  fields.  Special  services 
for  Christians  were  held  by  our  own  or  visiting  missionaries 
of  prominence  and  power  among  the  stations  of  Central  and 
West  China,  India,  and  Chile,  and  were  attended  with  rich  re- 
sults. In  South  China  a systematic  visitation  of  the  churches 
by  a deputation  of  foreign  and  native  workers,  with  the  two- 
fold object  of  spiritual  quickening  and  stimulating  along  the 
line  of  financial  self-support,  has  had  most  gratifying  results. 
Several  fields,  notably  Chile  and  Central  China,  tell  of  remark- 
able healings  by  God  through  the  prayer  of  faith. 

Self-support  has  advanced  a longer  step  than  in  any  pre- 
vious year.  Native  free-will  offerings  amounted  to  $15,278.40, 


17 


an  increase  of  $3,196.23  over  1917,  and  a number  more 
churches  have  become  fully  or  largely  self-supporting,  and 
have  been  granted  a corresponding  degree  of  self-govern- 
ment. 

Some  of  the  largest  regular  Alliance  congregations  are  now 
in  the  foreign  fields.  In  Congo  we  have  four  churches,  erected 
with  native  funds,  which  seat  from  800  to  1,300  people,  and 
some  of  these  are  already  becoming  too  small  for  their  con- 
gregations. The  Maduda  church,  for  example,  which  received 
369  new  members  by  baptism  last  year,  has  grown  so  large  as 
to  necessitate  its  division  into  four  congregations,  and  still 
the  buildings  do  not  hold  all  who  attend  the  services.  This 
church  has  sixty-six  outschools  and  sub-outschools  in  its  dis- 
trict, in  charge  of  fourteen  paid  and  forty-five  unpaid  teach- 
ers. Besides  supporting  all  its  own  workers  and  building  its 
own  churches,  it  a' so  supports  two  teachers  in  Kinkonzi  dis- 
trict and  gives  one-tenth  of  all  its  afferings  to  work  in  other 
mission  fields.  The  Yema  church  has  now  750  members,  and 
these  contributed  last  year  5,074  francs.  Of  a total  of  192 
native  teachers  in  Congo,  101,  or  more  than  half,  received  no 
Mission  pay. 

All  fields  cannot,  of  course,  report  such  large  churches.  In 
some  few,  where  conditions  are  very  different,  the  believers 
are  yet  only  a tiny  group,  and  our  sixteen  fields  present  striking 
contrasts  in  the  number  of  Christians  and  the  degree  of  self- 
support.  Argentina  offerings  reached  the  very  high  average 
of  $12.40  per  member.  Porto  Rico,  $5.70  per  member,  and  the 
average  for  our  entire  fields  was  $1.45.  In  terms  of  the  home- 
land, this  represents  an  average  ten  or  twenty  times  as  great, 
when  we  consider  the  extreme  poverty,  the  mere  pittance  of  a 
wage,  and  the  small  proportion  of  wage  earners  among  the 
members. 

5.  Schoohvork.  Sunday  Schools  continue  to  be  a prominent 


and  fruitful  factor  in  every  field.  They  now  number  145,  a 
gain  of  three  last  year,  but  for  some  reason  the  total  number 
of  scholars  decreased  from  8,364  to  7,683. 

Primary  Day  Schools  number  261,  an  increase  of  44,  and 
have  an  enrollment  of  5,878  scholars.  By  far  the  largest  num- 
ber of  these  are  in  Congo.  In  our  China  fields  the  enrollment 
in  Primary  and  Middle  Schools  has  somewhat  diminished  as 
a consequence  of  the  decision  by  the  missionaries  to  increase 
school  fees,  and  thus  throw  the  financial  burden  of  this  branch 
of  the  work  more  upon  the  Christians  and  other  natives  who 
are  using  the  schools.  We  regard  this  as  clearly  a forward 
rather  than  a backward  step,  and  for  the  ultimate  good  of  the 
native  church,  no  less  than  for  the  relief  of  the  Mission  treas- 
ury, and  have  confidence  that  the  Chinese  will  measure  up  to 
what  is  expected  of  them.  School  fees  already  show,  the  ef- 
fect of  this  new  policy,  and,  for  all  the  fields,  reach  a new  rec- 
ord of  $8,060.86,  a gratifying  advance  of  $1,775.00.  There  are 
twelve  Middle  Schools  with  372  pupils,  and  seven  Bible  Train- 
ing Schools  with  1 16  students.  This  is  a reduction,  due  mainly 
to  the  interruption  of  work  in  Palestine,  the  temporary  clos- 
ing of  the  West  China  Training  School  for  the  erection  of  new 
buildings,  and  the  delay  in  reopening  the  Congo  Training 
School,  owing  to  the  lack  of  available  missionary  teachers  until 
recently.  Chile,  Argentina,  Porto  Rico,  and  Japan  are  all  in 
need  and  desirous  of  beginning  Training  Schools,  and  one  of 
the  greatest  needs  is  for  well  qualified  and  consecrated  men 
for  this  vital  department  of  our  missionary  work,  upon  which 
its  strong  development  so  largely  depends. 

The  English  schoolwork  at  Shanghai,  China,  conducted  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodberry  and  family  among  the  well-to-do 
Chinese  of  that  great  and  most  advanced  metropolis  of  the 
Republic,  continues  large  and  fruitful.  It  embraces  scholars 
of  both  sexes  and  all  grades  from  kindergarten  to  High  School. 


19 


and  reports  a total  enrollment  of  137  for  the  year. 

The  Girls’  Academy  at  Zamboanga,  P.  I.,  under  the  care  of 
Mrs.  Lund,  has  had  a year  of  unusual  blessing.  A new,  com- 
modious, and  attractive  building  has  been  completed,  with  ad- 
joining recreation  grounds,  and  there  are  sixty  bright  and 
promising  boarding  scholars. 

Two  special  phases  of  schoolwork  call  for  mention.  The 
first  of  these  is  the  India  Orphanages,  now  three  in  number, 
with  a total  of  sixty-three  boys  and  200  girls  at  the  end  of 
1918.  This  number  may  be  considerably  increased  under  the 
pressure  of  the  present  famine.  The  reports  of  the  workers  in 
charge  are  full  of  interest  and  contain  touches  of  real  pathos. 
The  work  has  been  strenuous,  and  has  required  no  little  faith 
and  patience.  Epidemics  of  whooping  cough,  measles,  and  in- 
fluenza imposed  a severe  added  strain.  But  God  has  gracious- 
ly blessed  this  work,  which  has  insistently  kept  the  highest 
spiritual  end  in  view.  Kaira  reports  twenty-three  girls  bap- 
tized during  the  year  and  thirty-seven  others  enrolled  as  en- 
quirers. At  Khamgaon  twelve  girls  were  baptized,  and  nearly 
all  the  boys  at  Dholka  are  Christians  except  those  recently  ad- 
mitted. These  orphanages  have  proved  training  schools  in 
embryo,  and  not  a few  of  the  orphans  have  become  Mission 
workers,  while  most  of  the  other  graduates  are  living  con- 
sistent and  useful  Christian  lives. 

There  is  also  the  Home  and  School  for  blind  children  at 
Kwai  Ping,  South  China,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
W.  G.  Smith.  The  inmates  have  now  increased  to  about  sixty 
in  number,  the  old  accommodations  are  altogether  inadequate, 
and  plans  are  in  hand  for  a new  and  larger  building.  Not  only 
have  these  unfortunate  waifs  been  rescued  from  vice  and  mis- 
ery, but  most  of  them  have  been  brightly  converted  and  are  in 
turn  bringing  others  to  Christ  by  their  example  and  testimony. 
Many  of  the  older  ones  accompany  Mrs.  Smith  or  the  Bible- 


20 


woman  on  country  trips  and  visits  to  outstations.  Together 
they  contributed  last  year  376  days  to  such  service,  and  the 
striking  change  wrought  in  them  by  the  gospel  has  made  a 
profound  impression  upon  many. 

6.  Christian  Literature.  This  is  another  essential  and  most 
valuable  adjunct  of  the  work.  Chile  reports  33,000  tracts  dis- 
tributed and  558  Bibles  and  Testaments  sold;  South  China, 
over  100,000  gospel  portions  and  tracts,  and  in  one  station 
district  of  Central  China  27,000  gospel  portions  were  sold. 
These  are  not  exceptions,  but  rather  samples  of  what  is  done 
in  nearly  every  field.  South  China,  Chile,  Argentina,  and 
Porto  Rico  publish  their  own  Mission  papers,  and  four  Al- 
liance presses  are  in  operation.  The  largest  of  these  is  the 
South  China  Alliance  Press,  located  at  Wuchow.  Its  work 
has  reached  such  large  proportions  that  its  output  of  Bible 
literature  runs  to  several  million  pages  a year.  Its  main  pub- 
lication, The  Bible  Magazine,  is  a bi-monthly  of  eighty  or  more 
pages,  edited  by  Rev.  R.  A.  Jafifray,  and  devoted  entirely  to 
Bible  exposition  along  full  gospel  lines.  It  has  over  3,000 
subscribers  in  all  parts  of  China,  and  last  year  a Korean  edi- 
tion was  begun  which  already  has  a circulation  of  1,500. 
During  1918  Mr.  Jafifray  has  added  two  expository  volumes  on 
Leviticus  and  Romans,  as  well  as  several  timely  tracts,  to  the 
large  number  of  booklets  and  tracts  previously  issued  from 
this  Press. 

The  Press  at  Hanoi,  Indo-China,  has  done  good  service  in 
publishing  an  Annamese  Hymnal  and  many  gospel  tracts.  Our 
Indo-China  work  has  had  a tremendous  handicap  in  the  fact 
of  the  utter  lack  of  Scriptures  in  the  Annamese  colloquial. 
The  missionaries  have,  therefore,  had  to  give  themselves  to  the 
task  of  translation,  the  heaviest  share  falling  to  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
W.  C.  Cadman.  Through  the  help  and  blessing  of  God  upon 
this  effort,  the  revisions  of  the  four  Gospels,  Acts,  Romans, 


21 


and  Genesis  have  been  completed,  and  are  now  being  put 
through  the  press  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
while  work  is  now  proceeding  upon  the  remainder  of  the 
New  Testament. 

7.  Advances  into  New  Territory.  As  a fitting  climax  to 
this  series  of  encouraging  features  of  the  past  year  comes  the 
fact  that  on  a number  of  our  fields  the  old  boundaries  of  the 
work  have  been  overrun  and  the  “regions  beyond’’  have  been 
penetrated.  The  wedge  of  missionary  impact  has  been  driven 
a little  farther  into  Tibet  through  a successful  visit  to  the 
famous  monastery  center  of  La  Brang.  On  all  previous  visits 
our  missionaries  have  been  promptly  ejected.  Last  year  one 
of  our  workers,  in  company  with  a doctor  of  the  China  Inland 
Mission,  again  visited  La  Brang,  and  through  the  favor  of  a 
high  Buddhist  functionary  were  permitted  to  remain  for  two 
weeks.  The  time  was  well  utilized  in  doing  personal  work  and 
distributing  Gospels  and  tracts,  as  well  as  ministering  to  phys- 
ical needs.  Who  can  estimate  the  effect  upon  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  this  forbidden  land  that  such  a visit  to  this  command- 
ing center  of  influence  may  have? 

In  South  China  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oldfield  have  begun  to  realize 
their  long  cherished  hopes  by  going  “over  the  top”  into  the 
unoccupied  northwestern  half  of  Kwangsi,  and  have  opened 
a station  in  the  city  of  King  Yuen,  thus  establishing  the  first 
work  among  the  long  neglected  aborigines  of  the  province. 

In  French  Indo-China  the  addition  of  five  new'  missionaries 
has  made  possible  an  extension  of  plans.  Already  the  impor- 
tant forward  step  has  been  taken  of  occupying  Sa;gon,  the 
largest  port  city  and  capital  of  the  southernmost  province  of 
Cochin  China.  With  this  new  station  added  to  Tourane  and 
Hanoi,  we  now  hold  three  of  the  largest  centers  and  most 
strategic  bases — south,  central,  and  north — for  evangelizing 
this  great  gospel-starved  land  of  20,000,000  souls. 


22 


In  India,  the  opening  gained  two  years  ago  into  the  desti- 
tute county  of  Daryapur  has  been  developed,  several  hundred 
souls  have  already  been  gathered  in,  and  a station  is  being 
equipped  and  manned  in  the  county  seat. 

From  each  of  our  South  American  fields  comes  the  cheer- 
ing news  of  advance.  The  Argentine  Mission,  even  whde 
passing  through  some  internal  testings,  has  pushed  out  cour- 
ageously into  the  vast  unoccupied  territory  westward  and 
opened  three  new  cities.  Similarly  our  Chilean  brethren  have 
pressed  onward  and  outward  until  they  now  occupy  the  most 
southerly  points  touched  by  missions  in  the  so-called  “Shoe- 
string Republic,”  with  the  single  exception  of  the  port  of 
Punta  Arenas,  which  lies  at  the  very  southern  tip  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  is  cut  off  from  the  main  part  of  Chile  except  by  sea. 
The  pioneer  efifort  among  the  Mapuche  Indians  has  been 
pushed  energetically,  a score  or  two  of  souls  have  already  been 
won,  a station  has  been  opened,  and  a chapel  is  being  built. 
Our  field,  high  up  on  the  Andes  in  Ecuador,  has  been  extended 
by  the  opening  of  a Quichua  Indian  station  forty  miles  north 
of  Quito,  and  the  year  has  seen  the  long  projected  expedition 
to  the  savage  Indians  in  the  extreme  east  of  Ecuador  actua’ly 
accomplished.  Messrs.  Polk  and  Johnston  spent  over  four 
months  exploring  that  wild  and  dangerous  region,  and  have 
recently  returned  in  safety,  bringing  back  useful  data  upon 
which  further  plans  will  be  based. 

The  climax  of  these  forward  movements  has  been  in  our 
African  fields.  Our  Report  last  year  told  of  the  obtaining  of 
permission  from  the  French  Colonial  officials  to  enter  French 
Guinea,  adjacent  to  our  Sierra  Leone  field.  With  joy  we  are 
now  able  to  chronicle  the  fact  that  such  permission  has  been 
fully  granted  and  promptly  acted  upon,  so  that  already  that 
great  new  Soudan  field  has  been  entered,  and  Messrs.  Rose- 
berry  and  Ryan  have  established  headquarters  in  the  town  of 


23 


Baro,  on  a large  branch  of  the  Niger  River.  The  case  of  the 
French  Congo,  lying  directly  north  of  our  present  field  in  Bel- 
gian and  Portuguese  Congo,  is  only  a step  behind  in  our  plans 
and  operations.  During  the  year  the  General  Conference  of 
Missions  in  Congo  assigned  to  our  Society  the  greater  part  of 
this  vast  area  of  French  Congo,  with  its  8,000,006  benighted 
souls,  thus  making  our  field  ten  times  greater  than  before,  and, 
with  the  reinforcing  of  our  Congo  stafif,  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee there  has  seen  its  way  to  set  apart  two  missionary  breth- 
ren as  pioneers  to  this  new  field,  with  the  prayerful  hope 
that  permanent  entrance  will  be  granted  us  as  in  the  Soudan. 
And  so,  by  these  two  new  openings,  several  millions  of  un- 
touched Africans  have  become  accessible  and  have  been  added 
to  our  foreign  parish  of  trust  and  responsibility. 

DEPARTMENT  MATTERS. 

Before  closing  this  Report  with  a final  glance  at  the  pros- 
pects ahead,  a few  matters  in  connection  with  the  administra- 
tive end  of  the  work  call  for  a word  of  mention. 

1.  Missionary  Home.  The  need  for  a Home  for  such  of  our 
missionaries  on  furlough  as  are  not  otherwise  provided  for 
has  been  recognized  for  several  years,  and  has  been  discussed  at 
various  times.  Yet  no  progress  has  been  made,  at  least  toward 
securing  such  a home  in  the  vicinity  of  headquarters,  where 
it  seems  to  be  the  general  opinion  that  it  should  be  located. 
The  Missionary  Home  at  Denver,  so  generously  donated  some 
five  years  ago  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis,  is  ideal  in  many  fea- 
tures, and  has  ministered  most  helpfully  to  such  of  our  mis- 
sionaries as  have  been  able  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  But  the 
number  of  these  has  been  extremely  small  on  account  of  the 
location  of  the  Home,  and  the  question  is  whether  this  will 
not  necessarily  always  be  so,  and  whether  we  can  hope  that  a 
Home  so  far  from  our  center  can  ever  meet  the  real  and  grow- 
ing need  on  this  line. 


24 


2.  Home  for  Missionary  Children.  This  is,  if  possible,  an 
even  more  urgent  need.  We  have  at  present  104  missionary 
children  on  the  allowance  list,  and  the  number  is  more  likely 
to  increase  than  to  decrease.  Of  this  number  there  are  obvi- 
ously always  quite  a proportion  at  an  age  requiring  schooling 
which  cannot  be  secured  in  most  of  our  foreign  fields,  besides 
which  the  feature  of  climate  adds  to  the  necessity  of  many 
of  the  children  coming  home  for  schooling.  The  closing  of 
the  Wilson  Academy  a year  ago  leaves  us  with  no  provision 
for  this  need.  That  it  is  a vital  one  should  be  readily  apparent 
to  all.  For  the  lack  of  such  provision  a number  of  our  mis- 
sionary mothers  have  had  to  remain  at  home  for  years  at  a 
time  with  their  children,  and  many  more  will  doubtless  have 
to  do  the  same  thing  as  time  goes  on.  If  we  are  not  to  con- 
sider reopening  the  Academy,  the  difficulty  may  be  satisfac- 
torily solved,  at  least  to  a large  extent,  by  providing  a Home 
for  the  missionary  children  where  their  physical,  social,  and 
spiritual  needs  will  be  carefully  looked  after  while  they  attend 
the  public  Grammar  and  High  Schools.  But  this  involves  the 
need  both  of  money  for  buildings,  equipment,  and  upkeep,  and 
— what  is  still  more  important — of  someone  definitely  called 
and  fitted  by  God  for  the  sacred  work  of  making  a Home,  in 
every  sense  of  that  word,  for  the  missionary  children.  It  is  a 
serious  question  if  the  need  will  be  fully  met  without  separate 
Homes  for  boys  and  girls,  and  this  doubles  the  problem  of  sup- 
ply. 

3.  Special  Support  for  Native  Workers.  A word  seems 
called  for  on  this  subject,  inasmuch  as  the  Department  is  meet- 
ing with  increasing  difficulty  in  dealing  with  it.  There  has 
been  such  a disposition  on  the  part  of  contributors  to  designate 
their  offerings  for  the  support  of  special  native  workers  that 
in  scarcely  any  field  is  there  any  longer  a worker  left  to  as- 
sign. More  than  this,  the  missionaries  do  not,  as  a rule,  en- 


25 


courage  the  plan,  because  of  the  extra  labor  of  correspondence 
involved,  as  well  as  the  liability  to  confusion  on  account  of  the 
frequent  changes  and  irregularities  in  connection  with  the  na- 
tive workers.  The  help  of  our  home  workers  is  sought  in  ex- 
plaining this  situation  to  contributing  friends  and  bringing 
them  to  appreciate  the  advantage  of  having  gifts  unspecified  as 
far  as  possible,  so  that  they  may  be  applied  to  the  heavy  run- 
ning expenses  of  the  work,  which  bear  no  less  vitally  upon 
the  direct  spiritual  results  than  does  the  support  of  the  work- 
ers themselves. 

4.  Department  Work.  The  first  four  months  of  1918  were 
spent  by  the  Foreign  Secretary  in  visiting  our  South  American 
and  Jamaica  fields.  Conventions  and  deputational  work  have 
also  occupied  weeks  of  time.  Recently  he  made  a necessary 
visit  to  Porto  Rico,  and  important  interests  of  the  work  se;m:d 
to  make  desirable  a somewhat  extended  trip  this  autumn  to 
Palestine  and  India.  The  strongest  appeals  are  now  before 
the  Board  from  both  of  our  African  fields  for  an  eaily  Secre- 
tarial visit  to  them.  It  is  unmistakably  clear  to  those  most  con- 
versant with  missionary  work  that  the  highest  good  of  both  its 
foreign  and  home  end  requires  fairly  frequent  official  visita- 
tion of  the  fields.  Since  sixteen  fields  are  involved,  this,  of 
necessity,  calls  for  a considerable  portion  of  a Secretary’s  time. 
And  when,  in  addition  to  this,  the  many  other  Department  du- 
ties— field  matters  requiring  Board  action,  correspondence, 
candidates,  transportation,  free  literature,  and  a host  of  office 
details — are  considered,  it  becomes  all  too  apparent  that  our 
present  stafif  is  no  longer  adequate  for  the  steadily  increasing 
demands.  The  need  of  an  efficient  associate  or  assistant  secre- 
tary is  deeply  felt,  and  the  matter  is  laid  before  the  Council 
for  definite  prayer. 


26 


SUMMARY  AND  OUTLOOK. 

We  turn  finally  from  a review  of  the  past  to  a contemplation 
of  the  future.  Can  we  have  traced  the  hand  of  God  in  His  faith- 
ful leadings  and  blessings  thus  far,  and  especially  can  we  have 
reflected  upon  His  signal  providences  and  favor  in  our  beha'f 
during  these  years  of  war,  without  the  conviction  laying  hold 
upon  us  that  God  has  longer  and  larger  use  for  the  Christian 
and  Missionary  Alliance,  as  a vine  of  His  own  planting,  and 
that  our  best  and  biggest  service  for  Him  and  the  world  is  still 
ahead?  While  the  work  of  not  a few  other  missionary  Socie- 
ties has  suffered  interruption,  ours  has  suffered  almost  none. 
While  others’  ranks  have  been  diminished  and  their  treasuries 
depleted,  we  have  been  blessed  with  a steady  increase  of  men 
and  means.  While  others,  in  many  instances,  must  now  face 
difficult  problems  of  reconstruction,  and  spend  time  and  effort 
in  repairing  breaches,  filling  up  gaps,  and  making  good  the 
losses  sustained  through  the  war,  we  have  been  graciously 
spared  such  necessity,  and  are  free  to  give  ourselves  at  once 
to  an  aggressive  advance.  Our  missionary  ranks,  both  of  for- 
eign and  of  native  workers,  are  stronger  in  numbers  and  qual- 
ity, and  in  better  form  than  ever  before  for  the  task  that  con- 
fronts them. 

Called  by  God  from  the  first  to  be  a pioneer  agency  for  the 
“regions  beyond,”  the  Lord  has  guided  this  movement  beyond 
the  wisdom  of  man,  so  that  at  this  strategic  hour  we  find  our- 
selves strategically  situated,  occupying  advanced  positions  in 
the  missionary  battle  line,  and  in  close  relation  to  many  of  the 
greatest  remaining  unoccupied  areas  of  the  missionary  world. 
Surely  God  is  counting  on  us  as  one  of  His  eleventh  heur 
forces,  to  finish  the  task  assigned  to  His  Church  for  this  age 
by  completing  the  witness  of  the  gospel  to  earth’s  remotest 
bounds.  In  the  light  of  the  past  and  what  He  has  privileg'd 
us  to  accomplish,  in  the  light  of  the  present  and  what  yet  re- 


27 


mains  to  be  done,  in  the  light  of  the  new  lessons  the  war  has 
taught  us  and  the  new  standards  it  has  set  us  for  Christian 
service,  in  the  light  of  the  multiplying  signs  that  the  end  of 
the  age  draws  near  apace — the  night  when  no  man  can  work, 
in  the  light  of  His  soon  coming  and  the  desire  for  His  word, 
“Well  done,”  are  we  not  called  upon,  yea  challenged,  to  meas- 
ure up  to  the  Lord’s  highest  thought  and  our  fullest  ability 
through  Him? 

The  story  is  told  of  how  Michael  Angelo,  the  famous 
sculptor  and  painter,  after  scrutinizing  the  production  of  one 
of  his  promising  pupils,  took  a brush  and  wrote  across  the 
painting  the  one  Latin  word  “AMPLIUS”  (larger).  The 
master  was  not  discouraging  his  pupil,  but  the  reverse.  The 
effort  was  good  so  far  as  it  went,,  but  it  was  too  sma'I,  too 
cramped;  it  needed  larger,  bolder  outlines.  Just  so,  our  Di- 
vine Master  is  writing  across  the  page  of  Alliance  testimony 
and  effort  at  home  and  abroad  the  same  word  *‘AMPLIUS.” 
He  is  saying,  as  to  Israel  of  old : “Enlarge  the  place  of  thy 
tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  thy  habita- 
tion. Lengthen  thy  cords,  and  strengthen  thy  stakes.”  This 
was  Carey’s  text  for  that  memorable  sermon  at  Kettering, 
which,  by  God’s  power,  gave  birth  to  the  Modern  Missionary 
Era.  From  it  he  drew  his  famous  motto,  “Attempt  Great 
Things  for  God — Expect  Great  Things  from  God.”  Today 
we  stand  on  the  threshold  of  a new  day  of  worlawde  need 
and  opportunity.  Eternal  issues  are  at  stake.  Infinite  possi- 
bilities loom  before  us.  Shall  we  not  go  forth  in  the  spirit 
of  Carey’s  motto,  and  in  the  proffered  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  to  meet  these  possibilities  and  turn  them  into  ac- 
tualities ! 


28 


<2£ur  &oU  of  Jlonor. 

Four  noble  missionary  comrades  were  transferred 
during  1918  from  service  on  earth  to  rest  in  heaven. 
Three  of  these — Rev.  Wm.  J.  Ramsey,  Mrs.  Isa 
Moodie,  and  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Auernheimer — belonged 
to  our  India  Mission,  and  died  on  the  field.  Miss  Jo- 
sephine Harris,  of  our  Congo  Mission,  passed  away 
while  in  the  homeland.  All  were  old  workers,  true 
and  tried,  and  greatly  beloved  and  honored  by  all  who 
knew  them.  Together  they  gave  to  God  and  the  mis- 
sion field  seventy-nine  years  of  telling  service.  Their 
removal  leaves  a painful  gap  in  the  ranks  of  these  two 
fields,  and  intensifies  the  call  for  reinforcements. 

Irene  Ekvall,  the  little  seven-year-old  daughter  of 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  M.  E.  Ekvall  of  Central  China,  also 
passed  away  at  Wuchang,  China,  on  October  21,  1918. 


•29 


Do  You  Know 

That  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance  is  working  in 
sixteen  foreign  fields  and  preaching  the  gospel  in  twenty- 
two  foreign  languages? 

That  it  has  over  300  missionaries  and  between  600  and  700 
native  workers  doing  full  service? 

That  it  was  among  the  pioneers  of  Hunan  and  Kwangsi  prov- 
inces in  China? 

That  it  holds  three  positions  within  the  forbidden  land  of 
Tibet  ? 

That  it  has  a station  among  the  Subano  pagan  tribe  in  the 
Southern  Philippines? 

That  it  is  the  only  evangelical  mission  in  French  Indo-China 
with  20,000,000  people? 

That  it  built  the  first  evangelical  chapels  in  Ecuador  and 
Yenezue'a  ? 

That  it  has  in  the  last  two  years  secured  an  entrance  and  won 
two  score  of  converts  among  the  Mapuche  Indians  of 
Chile? 

That  it  has  just  conducted  a four  months’  expedition  from 
Quito,  Ecuador,  into  the  untouched  savage  Indian  region 
at  the  very  heart  of  South  America? 

That  it  has  entered  the  great  unevangelized  French  Soudan, 
where  the  first  station  has  just  been  opened? 

That  during  the  four  years  of  the  war  it  sent  out  eighty  new 
missionaries,  added  214  new  native  workers,  and  occu- 
pied 226  new  stations  and  out-stations? 

That  it  has  within  twenty-eight  years  baptized  15,175  heathen 
converts  ? 

That  it  has  a parish  of  over  40,000,000  heathen  souls  for  which 
it  is  exclusively  responsible? 

That  for  every  $58.00  donated  in  1917  one  precious  heathen 
soul  was  won  to  Christ  and  baptized  ? 

That  it  is  praying  and  hoping  to  be  able  to  send  out  at  least 
fifty  new  missionaries  during  1919? 

That  it  is  looking  to  God  for  an  increase  of  its  missionary  in 
come  during  1919  from  a little  over  $300,000.00  to  $500,- 
000.00,  to  cover  its  program  of  reinforcements  and  pro- 
jected advances? 


30 


A Umq  ue  Missionary  War  Record 


During  the  four  years  of  the  world  war  the  Christian  and 
Missionary  Alliance 

INCREASED  its  Missionary  Income  112  per  cent. 
SENT  OUT  80  new  Missionaries. 

ADDED  142  Native  W orkers. 

OPENED  226  new  Stations  and  Outstations. 
BAPTIZED  5,630  Heathen  Converts. 

ENTERED  new  fields  in  China,  Indo-China,  India.  Sou- 
dan, Congo,  South  America. 

Summary  of  Statistics  for  the  Foreign  Field 

Fields  16  Scholars  in  Day 


Stations  

10S 

Schools  . . . 

5.878 

Outstations  

389 

Middle  Boarding 

Missionaries  

300 

Schools  . . . 

12 

Native  Workers 

601 

Scholars  in 

Boarding 

Baptized  during  1918  . . 

1,897 

Schools  . . . 

372 

Baptized  from  the  be- 

Bible  Training  Schools 

ginning  

15475 

- 

Organized  Churches  . . . 

1 18 

Students  in 

Training 

Present  Full  Communi- 

Schools  . . . 

1 16 

cants  

10,561 

Native  Church  Offer- 

Enrolled  Inquirers  .... 

2,835 

ings,  1918. . 

$I5,278._-o 

Sunday  Schools  

145 

School  Fees 

collected, 

Scholars  in  Sunday 

1918  ..... 

SS  060.6S 

Schools  

7,683 

Value  of  Mission  Prop- 

Primary  Day  Schools.. 

261 

ertv  

$459,679  00 

Contributions  may  be  sent  to  David  Crear,  Treasurer,  and  en- 
quiries addressed  to  Foreign  Secretary,  both  at  690 
Eighth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


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